Strategic Management Company Easy Jets Strategic Analysis

Introduction The airline industry across the world is characterized by stiff competition. Every player is doing everything possible to acquire the biggest market share and have an advantage over competitors. Business executives in this industry treat strategic management as an important aspect of making a business succeed.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Strategic Management: Company Easy Jet’s Strategic Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is not unjustified; a critical analysis of the market reveals an array of strategic management tools used by the various players in the industry to keep companies afloat, giving them an advantageous edge over others. This report analyses UK’s airline industry, and how it affects Easy Jet’s strategic management. The industry’s current and future Macro environment The leadership of any profit oriented company is always concerned about the c urrent trends in the environment in which it operates. The UK government’s decision to increase corporation tax has affected the operations of many airlines, with some such as Ryanair opting to move their operation bases to other locations (Mintel, 2011b). The recent global economic problems affected most economies in the world, including the UK. The credit crunch slowed economic growth in many countries, with most posting a negative growth curve. The recession had far reaching effects in the credit industry, which is the life line of most economies (Association of European Airlines, 2011) It became exceedingly difficult for companies and other business entities to acquire credit to keep their operations running. It also became difficult for consumers to access credit for their expenses, and this almost brought most credit driven economies to their knees. The effects of the recession are still being felt, and the airline industry is no exception. It is still reeling from the effects of high operational costs worsened by the rising cost of fuel among others (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2010). Economic growth is still very slow in the UK, and the country posted a 0.2% growth rate in 2011 (Mintel, 2011a).This is a negative growth trend, and the economy is still far from full recovery. The slow economic recovery and growth is doing little to raise consumer confidence. Though interest rates are falling, the restrictions on borrowing only worsen inflation, which by 2011 figures stands at 0.5%. (Mintel, 2011b). The decrease in consumers’ disposable income only makes it more real that they are likely to cut down on spending.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The effect of this on the airline industry is that many customers are likely to abandon high cost carriers for cheaper airlines. With unemployment numbers in the UK projected to hit 3 million so on, (Mintel, 2011a) airlines have a need to adopt strategies that will keep them afloat when their consumers spend less, or decide to ditch them altogether. Consumer perception is fundamental to any business. Consumers in the airline industry have the perception that flying is the fastest way by which one can get to the destination they desire. Most people do not want to be late, and delays and other inconveniences can easily change this consumer perception. Technological advancements are set to change this. Though flying is undoubtedly the fastest way to travel, investment in fast and convenient international rail systems could make a consumer rethink his/her options. When check-in, inspection and boarding time is factored in, for some consumers the better option turns out to be the rail system. There are reasons for each consumer’s decision to use one airline and not the other. For some consumers, cost is an important consideration and for others, convenience and comfort ar e more valuable. Research shows that young adults are more likely to use cost as a determinant in their choice, while older passengers may hinge their decision on convenience and comfort. UK’s demographics show that its population is ageing fast. Statistics show that the 75-84 age group is growing at a faster rate than any other age segment. The younger age segments are increasing at a much slower pace (Mintel, 2011c). Research findings on consumer trends show that the older generation is most likely to choose a carrier on the basis of much more than cost alone (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2010).This group of people is also working for a longer period of time, and shunning early retirement. This means that they have access to income even in their old age. The young adults, however, almost always consider cost as a prime determinant in their flying decisions. The low cost fliers, therefore, may be faced with a consumer base that is slowly shrinking, due to the growing ageing pop ulation.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Strategic Management: Company Easy Jet’s Strategic Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company’s current position in the competitive environment in the UK, and abroad Easy Jet is a low cost carrier that targets the domestic European (short haul) market though it also operates in North Africa. The airline is one of the top performers in the industry (Mintel, 2011d). It is reported to have airlifted the largest number of passengers in 2011, despite not having the largest fleet (Mintel, 2011e). Easy Jet has the record of being the only airline in Europe that repeatedly recorded increases in passenger numbers over the recession period, even as passengers cut back on traveling (Mintel, 2011d). International travel especially, reduced by a considerably huge margin (Mintel, 2011c). These reports do not purport that the company faces no threats to its sur vival. The competition in the industry is high, and rivalry among the competitors is at its peak. The low cost carriers command almost two thirds of the airline industry in Europe. The players are numerous, most of them having similar strategies and with little differentiation in products. Competitors such as Flybe, Monarch airlines and Ryanair offer similar services to their customers (Mintel, 2011e). They also use expansion as a strategy to acquire a bigger market share. Since they are low cost carriers, cost leadership is a strategy present in almost every company’s strategy. The consumers in this industry, therefore, wield a lot of power over the companies as they can easily switch from one airline to another. The low cost airlines are expected to increase their market share considerably in the near future (Mintel, 2011f). These projections are likely to trigger an influx of players into the market. Most of the existing carriers are already positioning themselves for this . Ryanair for example, is strategically trying to consolidate its market share. This is by focusing on the routes it already operates, and not necessarily expanding to newer routes. It is also trying to keep its costs low by indicating that it may move its operating base to places in Europe outside the UK. This move is intended to reduce expenses on airport charges and â€Å"tourism taxation† to which it is exposed in the UK (Mintel, 2011g).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Easy Jet’s operations are profitable, and going by figures provided by the Association of European Airlines (2011), it is doing better than most of its competitors. In the financial year 2009/10, it saw its profits rise by about 70%, an increase fuelled by growth in passenger numbers (Mintel, 2011b). In 2011, it recorded a pretax profit of about  £230 million (Mintel, 2011c). Virgin Atlantic’s profits during the same period increased by 13%, while Ryanair recorded a 29% increase (Association of European Airlines, 2011). Easy Jet is poised to maintain its profitability, though its current expansion strategy puts it at risk, due to the high costs involved. In order to remain ahead of the pack, Easy Jet employs several strategies. First of all, the airline employs low-cost and cost leadership strategies. It offers a low cost, no frills service aimed at the cost-conscious client. It is well known among strategists that the consumer’s perception of a product is cru cial, and this perception can change in an instant (Delfmann, Baum, Auerbach Albers 2005). Armed with this knowledge, the company tries to convince its customers that flying with the airline gives one a unique experience, but at a considerably low cost. It may not be the lowest in the industry, but the consumer needs to be convinced of its uniqueness. It conducts media campaigns to enlighten the consumers on how much money they end up saving by flying with it. The airline also employs the focus strategy, targeting business travelers whose schedules change all the time. It has introduced a flexible package that allows the customer to adjust his/her flight even two hours before the scheduled departure time. This time is a reduction from the previous 1 week, and it is set to have a great appeal to the business community due to its flexibility. This was rolled out in 2010, and the company also has plans to introduce new destinations such as Berlin and Madrid. This move is aimed at attr acting tourists, and the company entered into a partnership with VisitBritain in 2011 so as to sell its services to tourists and increase its market share and profitability (Mintel, 2011d).See index- figure 3.0 for Easy Jet and its competitors’ market share, figure 4.0 for profits. The Company’s current resources and capabilities The airline industry, like almost every other sector of the economy is increasingly becoming unstable and to a certain extent, unpredictable (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2010). Company managers and other business executives can no longer afford to rely on the macro environment to formulate their strategies. Competitive advantage is now seen as achievable through the utilization of an organization’s internal resources and capabilities (Proctor, 2000).This leads the strategist towards the company’s internal environment for inspiration for a successful strategy formulation (Haberberg Rieple, 2008). Many times, a company’s reso urces are mistakenly looked at as the tangible assets. Little regard is given to the intangible resources at its disposal such as market intelligence, consumer information, technology, corporate culture, brand name and reputation (Haberberg Rieple, 2001). This remains the case even though research has proved that they are invaluable to the company’s competitive power (Yilmaz, 2008).These have been termed by many writers such as Haberberg Rieple (2001 2008) as the only real competitive edge sources that a company can maintain over time. As a provider of low cost flights, Easy Jet’s strong brand name is associated with efficiency and reliability. It enjoys a good reputation as a market leader, and also benefits from customer loyalty. It is the only airline that reported increasing numbers of passengers since 2005 (Mintel, 2011g). Easy Jet offers friendly services, ticketless traveling to cut costs, and most of its operations are paperless (Easy Jet Plc, 2007). Most of its bookings are done online, and the airline does not offer free lunch to passengers. The company has a relatively small fleet, and as of September 2010 the figures stood at 196 planes, with plans to increase this to about 220 by the year 2013 (Mintel, 2011b). The company continues to bank on its capabilities such as the efficient utilization of airports, for a profitable existence and successful expansion of its operations in the industry (Easy Jet Plc, 2007). It is among the leaders in the airline industry, with a market share of about 30.31% (Easy Jet Plc, 2011). Its competitive edge is enhanced by high utilization of its assets, and efficient management of its fleet. Its operations have a cost advantage, and it enjoys economies of scale. The company has a strong financial performance. Its pretax profits in 2011 rose by about  £60 Million (Easy Jet Plc 2011). This was made possible by an 11.8% increase in passenger numbers, and a 4.1% increase in total revenue per seat. Much of a company’s success is often attributed to its leadership (Haberberg Rieple 2008). A strong balance sheet reflects well on leadership and when things are not going so well, then fingers point at leaders (Smith Golden, 2001). In order to transform an organization from its current position to a desired status, strong leadership is required, leadership that will give guidance to employees and inspire them to perform. Charisma, motivation and intelligence are desirable attributes of a good leader in an organization (Proctor, 2000). Easy Jet has a transformational leadership that spearheads changes in the company to meet changing circumstances in the market. The company is pursuing several strategies that are reflective of this kind of leadership. In a move targeting UK bound tourists and the likely increase in travelers due to the upcoming Olympics, the company has plans to increase its fleet. It has also opened up new routes and rolled out a flexible package for business tr avelers. These transformative undertakings reflect a transformative leadership. Strategic options available to Easy Jet. Diversification Every strategy pursued by a company is aimed at achieving the company’s goals and objectives, which include giving it a competitive edge over its competitors Delfmann, Baum, Auerbach Albers 2005).The airline should diversify its products in order to attract tourists and other un exploited markets. In terms of acceptability, strategy is acceptable to its shareholders and other stakeholders, because it is likely to increase the company’s revenue and expand its profit margins. It is also feasible since even though it will require a lot of money to finance, the company is very profitable and it can comfortably meet the costs. Since the company’s strategic plan is to lead the low-cost airline industry, then a diversification strategy is suitable for the purpose of achieving this goal. International expansion The company recently in vested heavily in new airplanes (Easy Jet Plc 2011), and an international expansion strategy is suitable, since it will be a justification for such a huge investment. Expanding to the international market is feasible since huge capital investments have already been made in the acquisition of new air planes, and these can be used in the new routes. Shareholders and other stakeholders will be inclined to accept it since it may be instrumental in realizing the returns on these investments. It is also bound to raise its revenue and profit margins. The company is in a good position to exploit low-cost international markets, since it is already a low-cost carrier. Diversification, which involves selling new products to the new markets may be a risky move for Easy Jet, but if it is successfully done, the company is set to reap big from it. When expanding to the new routes, the company should concentrate on developing markets for its already existing products such as, popularizing the flexi ble package among tourists. The company’s Ansoff analysis shows us the possible strategies the company can pursue in order to maintain its profitability.  See Index-Figure 5.0 for Ansoff’s grid. Conclusion A company’s strategic management may mean its success or failure. It needs to have leaders who understand the market and know the right decisions to make when the need arises. The airline industry has so many players that many airlines are forced to work with others either through alliances or mergers, if only to ensure their survival. The analysis of Easy Jet reveals an industry that forces even the market leaders to look towards other smaller and arguably insignificant players for survival. References Association of European Airlines 2011, Research and Statistics: Trends, via AEA database. Delfmann, W, Baum, H, Auerbach, S, Albers, S. 2005. Strategic Management in the Aviation Industry, Ashgate Publishing Ltd. Easy Jet Plc 2007, Preliminary Results 2007. Web. Easy Jet Plc 2011, Europe by Easy Jet Plc: Annual Reports and Accounts. Web. Haberberg, A Rieple, A 2001, The Strategic Management of Organizations, Prentice Hall. Haberberg, A Rieple, A 2008, Strategic Management: Theory and Approach, Oxford University Press. Hitt, M.A, Ireland, D.R Hoskisson, R.E 2010, Strategic Management: Concepts: Competitiveness and Globalization (Concepts (Cengage Learning), South-Western College Publishers. Mintel 2011a, ‘Airlines-UK-September 2011: Broader Market Environment,’ Mintel.com, via Mintel database. Mintel, 2011b, ‘Airlines-UK-September 2011: Companies and Products,’ Mintel.com, via Mintel database. Mintel, 2011c, ‘Airlines-UK-September 2011: Competitive context,’ Mintel.com, via Mintel database. Mintel, 2011d, ‘Airlines-UK-September 2011: Market Share,’ Mintel.com, via Mintel database. Mintel, 2011e, ‘Airlines-UK-September 2011: Market Size and Forecast,’ Mintel.com, v ia Mintel database. Mintel, 2011f, ‘Airlines-UK-September 2011: What people think of Airlines,’ Mintel.com, via Mintel database. Mintel, 2011g, ‘Airlines-UK-September 2011: Segment Performance,’ Mintel.com, via Mintel database. Proctor, T 2000, Strategic Marketing: An Introduction, Routledge: London. Smith, J. R Golden, P. A 2001, A Strategic Management Simulation, Prentice Hall: New Jersey. Yilmaz, K. A 2008, ‘The Corporate Sustainability Model for Airline Business,’ European Journal of Scientific Research, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 304-317, via Eurojournals. Index The Net margin and Margin profitability ratios were used to determine Easy Jet’s profitability. Fig. 1.0 Easy Jet’s Profitability (2010 2011) Profitability 2010 2011 Margin 32.8% 46.6% Net Margin 22.3% 31.2% Fig. 2. Easy Jet’s Profitability (2010 2011) Figure 3. Revenue generated by Easy Jet and its Competitors. (Financial Year 2010/2011) Airlines R evenue ( £ bn) Virgin Atlantic 2.7 Thomson 3.4 Thomas Cook 3.1 Ryanair 3.6 Monarch 0.614 Jet 2 0.296 Flybe 0.595 Easy Jet 2.9 Bmi 0.896 British Airways 6.6 Figure 4. Market Share (Easy Jet and its Competitors) Figure 5. Ansoff’s grid for Easy Jet. Existing Product (Flexible Package) New Product (Flexible package for tourists) Existing market Market Penetration Penetrate the existing market more deeply to increase the sales of its existing products to the already existing market comprising of business travelers. Product development. Develop a new product for the already existing market. New market Market Development (Tourists) The airline’s existing products should Be sold to the new markets that are Being developed, such as new routes And different groups of clients. Diversification Selling the new packages or services to new markets. This may however, be highly risky. This report on Strategic Management: Company Easy Jet’s Strategic Analysis was written and submitted by user Edward B. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Opening Scene of Macbeth Sets the Mood of the Whole Play-Discuss Essays

The Opening Scene of Macbeth Sets the Mood of the Whole Play-Discuss Essays The Opening Scene of Macbeth Sets the Mood of the Whole Play-Discuss Paper The Opening Scene of Macbeth Sets the Mood of the Whole Play-Discuss Paper Macduff (Macbeth) 1 Macduff (Macbeth) Macduff (Macbeth) Dan OHerlihy as Macduff in Orson Welles controversial film adaptation Macbeth (1948) Creator William Shakespeare Play Date Source Family Macbeth c. 1603-1607 Holinsheds Chronicles (1587) Lady Macduff, wife Son, (name unknown) Antagonist to Macbeth; kills him in the final act. Despair thy charm / And let the angel whom thou has served / Tell thee Macduff was from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripped (5. 10. 14-16) Role Quote Macduff, the Thane of Fife, is a character in William Shakespeares Macbeth (c. 603-1607). Macduff plays a pivotal role in the play: he suspects Macbeth of regicide and eventually kills Macbeth in the final act. He is the main antagonist, yet the hero, in the play. The character is first known from Chronica Gentis Scotorum (late 14th century) and Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland (early 15th century). Shakespeare drew mostly from Holinsheds Chronicles (1587). Although characterized s poradically throughout the play, Macduff serves as a foil to Macbeth, a figure of morality, and an instrument to the play’s desired excision of femininity. Origin The overall plot that would serve as the basis for Macbeth is first seen in the writings of two chroniclers of Scottish history, John of Fordun, whose prose Chronica Gentis Scotorum was begun about 1363 and Andrew of Wyntouns Scots verse Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland, written no earlier than 1420. These served as the basis for the account given in Holinsheds Chronicles (1587), on whose narratives of King Duff and King Duncan Shakespeare in part based Macbeth. Macduff first appears in Holinsheds narrative of King Duncan after Macbeth has killed the monarch and reigned as King of Scotland for 10 years. When Macbeth calls upon his nobles to contribute to the construction of Dunsinane castle, Macduff avoids the summons, arousing Macbeths suspicions. Macduff leaves Scotland for England to prod Duncans son, Malcolm, into taking the Scottish throne by force. Meanwhile, Macbeth murders Macduffs family. Malcolm, Macduff, and the English forces march on Macbeth, and Macduff kills him. [1] Shakespeare follows Holinsheds account of Macduff closely, with his only deviations being Macduffs discovery of Duncans body in 2. 3, and Macduffs brief conference with Ross in 2. 4. Historically, the Clan MacDuff was the most powerful family in Fife in the medieval ages. [2] The ruins of Macduffs Castle lie in East Wemyss cemetery. Role in the play Macduff first speaks in the play in 2. 3 when he discovers the corpse of King Duncan in Macbeth’s castle. He raises an alarm, informing the castle that the king has been murdered. Macduff begins to suspect Macbeth of regicide when Macbeth says, â€Å"O, yet I do repent me of my fury / That I did kill them† (2. 3. 103-104). Interestingly, Macduff’s name does not appear in this scene; rather, Banquo refers to him as â€Å"Dear Duff† (2. 3. 75). In 2. Macbeth has left for Scone, the ancient royal city where Scottish kings were crowned. Macduff, meanwhile, meets with Ross and an Old Man. He reveals that he will not be attending the coronation of Macbeth and will instead return to his home in Fife. However, Macduff flees to England to join Malcolm, the slain King Duncan’s elder son, and c onvinces him to return Macduff (Macbeth) to Scotland and claim the throne. Macbeth, meanwhile, visits the Three Witches again after the spectre of Banquo appears at the royal banquet. The Witches warn Macbeth to â€Å"beware Macduff, beware the Thane of Fife† (4. 1. 87-88). Furthermore, they inform him that, â€Å"The power of man, for none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth† (4. 1. 96-97). Macbeth, fearing for his position as King of Scotland, orders the deaths of Macduffs wife, children and relatives. Macduff, who is still in England, learns of his family’s deaths through Ross, another Scottish thane. He joins Malcolm, and they return to Scotland with their English allies to face Macbeth at Dunsinane Castle. After Macbeth slays the young Siward, Macduff confronts Macbeth. Although Macbeth believes that he cannot be killed by any man born of a woman, he soon learns that Macduff was â€Å"from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripped† (5. 10. 15-16). The two fight, and Macduff slays Macbeth offstage. Macduff ultimately presents Macbeth’s head to Malcolm, hailing him as king and calling on the other thanes to declare their allegiance with him (5. 11. 20-25). 2 Analysis Macduff as a foil to Macbeth As a supporting character, Macduff serves as a foil to Macbeth; his integrity directly contrasts with Macbeth’s moral perversion. [3] In an exchange between the Scottish thane Lennox and another lord, Lennox talks of Macduff’s flight to England and refers to him as â€Å"some holy angel† (3. 6. 6) who â€Å"may soon return to this our suffering country / Under a hand accursed† (3. 6. 48-49). The play positions the characters of Macduff and Macbeth as holy versus evil. The contrast between Macduff and Macbeth is accentuated by their approaches to death. Macduff, hearing of his family’s death, reacts with a tortured grief. His words, â€Å"But I must also fee l it as a man† (4. 3. 223), indicate a capacity for emotional sensitivity. While Macbeth and Lady Macbeth insist that manhood implies a denial of feeling (1. 7. 45-57), Macduff insists that emotional depth and sensitivity are part of what it means to be a man. This interpretation is supported by Macduff’s reaction upon his discovery of Duncan’s corpse and the echo of Macduff’s words when Macbeth responds to the news of Lady Macbeth’s death. Macduff struggles to find the words to express his rage and anguish, crying, â€Å"O horror, horror, horror† (2. 3. 59). In some stage interpretations, Macduff’s character transitions from a state of shock to one of frenzied alarm. [4] This contrasts starkly with Macbeth’s famous response to the announcement of his wife’s death: â€Å"She should have died hereafter / There would have been a time for such a word / Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow† (5. . 17-19). Macbeth’s words seem to express a brutal indifference–she would have died anyway–and perhaps even suggest that he has lost the capacity to feel. Macduff as a moral figure Although Macduff comes to represent a type of â€Å"goodness† in the dark world of Macbeth, Shakespeare also allows for some instability in his character. This becomes most evident in 4. 3 when Macduff joins Malcolm in England. In this scene, the play has moved from the tumult in Scotland to England. In the exchange between the two Scotsmen, Malcolm is clearly in control and forces Macduff to examine and reconcile with himself his own moral code. In a moment of dramatic irony, Macduff begins the conversation urging Malcolm to fight for Scotland rather than to grieve, not knowing that Malcolm has already arranged for English military support (4. 3. 134-136). Malcolm manipulates Macduff, questioning his loyalty, facilitating his emotional responses, and testing to see how much Macduff’s, and perhaps the audience’s, morality can ultimately be compromised. Malcolm portrays Macbeth as a tyrant, but he positions himself, too, as someone morally repulsive. [4] He describes his own voluptuousness–the bottomless â€Å"cistern of [his] lust† (4. 3. 4)–and â€Å"staunchless avarice† (4. 3. 79). Macduff must decide whether he can accept Malcolm as an alternative to Macbeth. He does not give this answer until the final scene, addressing Malcolm, â€Å"Hail King† (5. 6. 20). By this point, however, Malcolm has abjure[d] / The taints and blames I laid upon myself, / For strangers to my nature (4. 3. 125-127). This shows that rather than speaking truthfully about himself, Malcolm was simply testing Macduff to see where Macduffs loyalties were. Therefore, Macduff is right in accepting Malcolm Macduff (Macbeth) as king. Macduff may also be read as a precursor for ethical philosophy. 5] Macduffs flight from Scotland is a spiritual reawakening, with spirituality based around the truth, regardless of what it may be. Macduff constantly reexamines his values. In deciding to leave his family, Macduff deserts those values and pays bitterly for it. Macduff echoes sentiments of writers such as Plato and the later Thomas Hobbes, who claim that morality may only be judged to the extent that a person takes responsibility for his or her actions. Thus, because he accepts the burden of his decision to leave his family for political exploration, Macduffs actions can be justified. [5] 3 Macbeth and the fantasy of female power One of the themes that the play Macbeth wrestles with is the relationship between male vulnerability and feminine influence. The play explores the fantasy of a female or maternal power as well as the desire of an escape from this influence. [6] Femaleness is to be feared and reviled, and to a certain extent, the play works to excise femininity and restore autonomous male or paternal power. However, the play also exposes the impossibility of the fantasy of absolute masculinity. After Macbeth derives much of his motivation from the Witches’ perceived promise of invincibility: that no man born of woman can kill him. He interprets the prophecy to mean he is untainted by femininity, as if femininity were the source of vulnerability. [6] Macbeth believes in his own invulnerability, claiming, â€Å"I bear a charmed life, which must not yield / To one of woman born† (Act V, scene 8). However, Macduff, born via caesarian section, exposes this fantasy as a fallacy. He replies to Macbeth: â€Å"Despair thy charm, / And let the angel whom thou still hast served / Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripped† (Act V, scene 8). Though he may not have been of a woman born in the conventional sense (thus fulfilling the prophecy), Macduff ultimately originates from woman, asserting that he was â€Å"from his mother’s womb. If, as Macbeth believes, true manhood cannot derive from or be tainted by femininity, then Macduff’s very existence fundamentally counters this idea. References [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Bevington, David and William Shakespeare. Four Tragedies Bantam, 1988. Official Scottish Clans and Families (http:/ / www. electricscotland. com). Horwich, Richard. Integrity in Macbeth: The Search for the Single State of Man. Rosenberg, Marvin. The Masks of Macbeth. University of California Press, 1978. Hennedy, John F. Macduffs Dilemma: Anticipation of Existentialist Ethics in Macbeth. Adelman, Janet. Escaping the Matrix: The Construction of Masculinity in Macbeth and Coriolanus. Suffocating mothers: fantasies of maternal origin in Shakespeares plays. Routledge, 1992. External links Macbe th: Folio Version (http://internetshakespeare. uvic. ca/Annex/Texts/Mac/F1/Work) Macbeth: Full-text online (http://shakespeare. mit. edu/macbeth/full. html) Article Sources and Contributors 4 Article Sources and Contributors Macduff (Macbeth)   Source: http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? oldid=542149214   Contributors: 2A01:388:201:3030:E4B5:F56E:CE1B:5242, Agricolae, Akira625, Alansohn, Alex2706, Andrei Iosifovich, Andrew Hampe, Ashton1983, Australian Matt, Benjamin Geiger, Bucklesman, Byron Farrow, Cntras, David Gerard, Deskford, Dwanyewest, Escape Orbit, Finavon, Fitnr, Focus, Girlwithgreeneyes, Huw Powell, IllaZilla, ItsLassieTime, John of Lancaster, Jupiter Optimus Maximus, KGasso, Kabartlett, Kierant, Kyaa the Catlord, Lentower, Lordrosemount, Luki9875, MarnetteD, Mhardcastle, Mhockey, Monkeyzpop, Nashikawa, NatureA16, Omarworld87, P. S. Burton, PC78, Paul Bedson, Pegship, Philip Trueman, Pjweller, Poeloq, Red-eyed demon, Roregan, SAGE01, Saga City, Smalljim, Speedevil, Stefanomione, Stephenb, Steven Zhang, ThinkBlue, Tiria, Tommy2010, Treybien, UltimateCoach, Wangyingyun, Warofdreams, Woohookitty, Wrad, Xover, 115 anonymous edits License Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3. 0 Unported //creativecommons. org/licenses/by-sa/3. 0/

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 5

Strategic management - Essay Example f the most effective is with respect to performing a PESTEL analysis; weighing the unique threats and likely impacts of Political, Economic, Social, Technological, and Legal effects that the firm faces and could likely face in the future. Rather than laboring through a PESTEL analysis within the body of this strategic needs and future approach, the PESTEL analysis itself has been relegated to the appendix of this analysis; with only the responses to the way in which strategy can and should be formulated as a means of addressing the key weaknesses and opportunities that it denotes in the body of the analysis. Furthermore, whereas a PESTEL analysis is a perfect tool for measuring the external environment, a SWOT analysis has been engaged as a means of measuring the internal environment of ABB and delineating what Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats exist for it. Therefore, through an examination of both of these measurements and a discussion of their requisitve parts, it is the hope of this author that the reader will gain a more informed understanding not only with respect to the operational realities and strategy that the firm should engage but also with regards to appreciating the dynamics of what has led ABB to experience such a level of success up until this point in time. As such, defining these issues and promoting a further discussion and analysis of operations and strategic management will hopefully engage a more full and complete understanding of the key steps that could be engaged to seek to promote ABB to a level of renewed vigor and dynamic business strength within the coming years. Ultimately, with regards to strategic analysis, there are two unique approaches that can be taken. Firstly, and external environmental approach can help to be definitive with regards to the way in which the firm itself operates within the environment of competition and other definitive compliments of the outside world. As such, Porter’s Five Forces and

Writer's choice Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Writer's choice - Coursework Example Then the next minute he says that Biff is not lazy, and this may be taken to mean that he still has hopes that his son would become rich and be successful (Hurrel, 1961). Another moment of confusion is when he calls the family car that he just finished paying for a piece of junk then later defines it as the best car that has ever been built. Clearly, he does not have a clear view of reality and what he wishes is very different from what is on the ground. He represents everyman in the sense that he wants success as other people have done before him. His view of success is distorted and has very high expectations for his sons. His sons have failed to meet his expectation making him a disillusioned man. Biff and Happy have very different characters and opinions of their father. Biff is disappointed in his fathers action. He appeared to be angry with him and disappointed in him. He once found out that his father was cheating on his mother and wanted to confront him. He feels that his father has very unrealistic expectations of him leading him to tell him that he is just an ordinary man living an ordinary life (Hurrel, 1961). He is very angry at his father for constantly talking about his disappointment in him while at the same time tries to please him. He feels that he has failed in getting the success that his father had instilled in him when he was young. ‘I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been.’ Biff, act II. He had hoped that he would pass his education and head off to college. However, this did not come to pass as he failed and ended up dong manual farm work that his father is very ashamed about. Happy has a stable job unlike Biff and his attitude towards his father and the entire family is to try to maintain happiness in all of them even if it means lying to them. He first tries to convince Biff to lie that he had gotten a business deal to their father. He treats his father better in that

Influential Legislation for Drug Related Crime Essay

Influential Legislation for Drug Related Crime - Essay Example Taking that into consideration, a key piece of legislation to observe is the documentation, which comes from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Legislation when best presented can give the greatest potential for success achieved. The words inside the proposed legislation, while being strong on their own merit when written carefully, can also be further aided by the weight of an organization which can accomplish the task of carrying the message which is found when looking inside the words on the papers. Such an organization to fit this idea would be the United Nations. The United Nations is an organization whose sole purpose it to aid, through words as well as actions taken, the efforts designed to combat problems which can have an adverse effect on a country, as well as the rest of the world at large. This would of course include such things as drugs and crime, with the lethal reality of consequences being felt if each are interlocked with the other and used to form either greater havoc on the unsuspecting public, and the unsuspecting world. The following is a direct quote from the first paragraph of the documentation. "Recognizing the drug problem was still a global challenge and constituted a serious threat to health, development and security, the Ministerial Segment of the Commission on Narcotic Segment of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs concluded its two-day session with the adoption of recommendations to enhance the implementation of drug control measures," (UN ODC pg. 1). This in itself is the beginning of a document that outlines the motives of this particular branch of the United Nations. It reads of the intentions of this group in the continuing war against drug-related crime, and how best to alleviate the problem(s) which most definitely come as a result. What is this commission, and what influence does it have The document answers this when it says that, "The Commission, the central policy-making body within the United Nations system dealing with drug-related matters, analyzes the world drug situation and develops proposals to strengthen the international drug control system," (UN ODC pg. 1). This statement alone begins to allude to the overall idea and purpose of this legislation, and the purpose of this group. It also begins to take a closer look at the UN's purpose itself in combating drug-related crimes. It shows itself as a dominant player in the war against drugs and the interlocking relationship that it holds with the criminal world. Drugs can have such a devastating impact on those who are forced to be in the situation. It can end lives, kill dreams, and leave lasting effects which can stay present for decades, and even centuries afterwards. Obviously, there are those who are willing participants in the act of drug trafficking, and the link between those drugs and the crime world. These are people who feel they have nothing to loose, and aren't afraid of those honest people who are out to avenge the wrongs committed against those who are defenseless. During the meeting which this document addresses it makes light of this fact. That is, "At that meeting, over 150 Governments adopted a Political Declaration, committing themselves to achieving significant and measurable reductions of the illicit supply and demand for drugs by the year 2008. The current ministerial segment constituted a

The Sexual Abuse Of Children Social Work Essay

The Sexual Abuse Of Children Social Work Essay Childhood is idealised as a garden, protected by walls and hedges, where nature flourished at its perfect best. It is often envied and honoured. However, in reality most children are often neglected, abused and exploited. An overview of the reported cases suggests that a major part of reported child maltreatment was sexual abuse. As many as one out of every four children will be the victims of some kind of abuse. Child Pornography and child sexual abuse are two of the most disturbing issues in the world today. This paper aims to show the ongoing debate on whether consumers of child pornography pose a risk for hands on child sex abuse offences. It provides an overview of existing research studies and their approaches concerning the linkages between child pornography and child sex abuse. In this paper I will be including arguments for and against this relationship by various authors, statistics reports and surveys to reach a conclusion. This paper also aims to talk about how the legal system attempts to control child pornography through actual legislation and a graded selection policy. INTRODUCTION Child pornography is a complex topic for which the standards applied are subjective and dependent upon moral, cultural, sexual and religious beliefs. Legal definitions of both child and child pornography differ globally. However, the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Child, which has now been adapted by 191 member states, provides a universal definition of the child as any person under the age of eighteen years. It should be noted that each countrys legal definition of child may be different but the term child pornography will refer to a sexually explicit reproduction of a childs image. According to the Interpol Specialist Group on Crimes against Children, Child pornography is created as a consequence of the sexual exploitation or abuse of a child. It can be defined as any means of depicting or promoting the sexual exploitation of a child, including written or oral material, which focuses on the childs sexual behaviour or genitals. The Council of Europe defines child pornog raphy as material that visually depicts a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The ECPATs definition closely mirrors Interpols which states the visual depiction of a child engaged in explicit sexual activity, real or stimulated, or the lewd exhibition of genitals intended for the sexual gratification of the user, and involves the production, distribution and/or use of such material. It can be seen that each definitions given by the above bodies speak of visual images or depictions, or representation of sexual activity involving the child or minor defined in Article 1 of UN Convention Rights of a Child. Each of the definition emphasises the sexual nature of the representation and seeks to distinguish child pornography from, wholly innocent images of children, for example in a family setting or on the beach, where they could be fully or partially undressed, which are appropriate to the wider lawful activity shown in the depiction. The official definition of child sexual abuse is forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities including prostitution, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative or non-penetrative acts. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or, in the production of, pornographic material or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways. Persons who exploit children sexually, in the view of ECPAT, fall into two categories. Preferential child sex abuser and the situational child sex abuser where abusers in the first category suffer from psychological disorder and the latter are experimenting with new forms of sexual contact. In the paper prepared by Julia OConnell Davidson for the World Congress against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, she describes both of these categories. Accord ing to her, the term paedophile refers to an adult who has a personality disorder which involves a specific and focussed sexual interest in pre-pubescent children. The preferential child sex abusers are abusers who are usually, but not always, men, and their victims may be either male or female children. Psychiatry views their taste for immature and powerless sexual partners as the manifestation of a personality disorder. The situational child sex abusers are men and women who sexually exploit children, not because they have sexual interest in children per se, but because they are morally/sexually indiscriminate and want to experiment.These abusers do not consciously seek out children as sexual partners, but use them when such children are available. Generally child pornography will be possessed, made and distributed by the paedophile or preferential sex abuser. However, it would appear from a number of arrests that child pornography can be accessed with ease on the internet. Its anonymity has meant that situational child sex abusers are also using this medium. Identifying Victims and Offenders In most countries, street children, poor children, juveniles from broken homes, and disabled minors are especially vulnerable to sexual exploitation and to being seduced or coerced into the production of pornographic material. While impossible to obtain accurate data, the perusal of the child pornography readily available on the international market indicates that a significant number of children are being sexually exploited through this medium. According to the Home Office Statistical bulletin more than one third (36%) of all rapes recorded by the police are committed against children under 16 years of age. Another study which examined police data on rapes committed against children found that children under the age of 12 were the most likely of all those age 16 and under to have reported being raped by someone they knew well. According to the NSPCC statistics, there is a predominance of girl victims than boy victims. For example, in England and Wales there were 6,587 offences of se xual abuse on a female child under 16 and 2,821 offences of sexual abuse on a male child. Another Home Office report shows that 60-70% of sex offenders against children target girls only, about 20-30% target boys only, and about 10% children of either sex. In the context of sexual exploitation of children, sex exploiters can be defined as those who take unfair advantage of some imbalance of power between themselves and a person under the age of 18 in order to sexually use them for either profit or personal pleasure. Child exploiters and pornographers often seek occupations that bring them into habitual contact with children. Paedophiles constitute a significant sector of the offenders. Some of these paedophiles are attracted to children of the same sex, but the majority are heterosexuals. It should be noted that not all paedophiles are child molesters and that many child molesters are not paedophiles. In 2005/06 the average number of registered sex offenders was 58 per 100,000 of the population in England and Wales. An estimated 110,000 people have been convicted of sexual offences against children in England and Wales. 90% of the child victims know their offender, with almost half of the offenders being a family member. Although highe r proportion of the offenders is males, the number of female offenders is also a key concern. Researchers from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a child protection charity that deals with British female sex offenders, said its studies confirmed that a fair proportion of child abusers were women. The sexual exploitation of children can happen anywhere in schools, homes, workplaces, in communities and even own computers, and anyone can be an exploiter a teacher, relative, religious leader, employer, aid worker, peer or pornographer. A study which examined police data on rapes committed against children found that children under the age of 12 were the most likely of all those aged 16 and under to have reported being raped by someone they knew well. Children between 13 and 15 years of age were the most likely to have reported being raped by an acquaintance. Since the advent of the internet and mobile telephone services linked with download and exchanging capabilities, the production and sale of child pornography has also became a profitable business. The men who sexually violate or photograph children being violated in order to sell the images are child sex exploiters. So are those who operate the websites that are the shop fronts for the illicit trade in child abuse images. When someone pays to look at child pornography, they are not just looking, they are exploiting. They are part of the chain of exploitation and in most countries, are pursued by the law as child sex offenders. Arguments This research assignment is aimed to answer the question of whether there is a link between child pornography and child sex abuse. This is a very controversial area, with experts differing over any casual link. Some experts argue that there is a link between the two as watching child porn increases the risk of offending, and some argue that it reduces the risk of offending. The main reason for this debate is that it is virtually impossible to conduct research in the laboratory using standard specific methods which yield statistically reliable results. The constraints of ethical research, false reporting, interviewer distortion and a whole host of other problems contribute to the difficulty of acquiring scientific results. Many researchers have come to the conclusion that there is no sound scientific basis for the conclusion that exposure to child pornography increases the likelihood of sexual abuse of children. Others have suggested that there is a consistent correlation between the use of pornography and sexual aggression. This debate will be considered in two sections, the arguments supporting that there is a link and the arguments against the link followed with a conclusion. Arguments supporting the link between child pornography and child sex abuse A common theme within the existing discourses surrounding child pornography is that such an activity represents a threat because it is invariable existing sexual abusers of children who possess and use child pornography as an incitement to commit child sexual abuse. It is also frequently argued that possession and use of child pornography present a real threat to children

Undergraduate Education: Adapting to a New World Essay -- College Univ

Undergraduate Education: Adapting to a New World Since medieval times, undergraduate universities have provided the education necessary to fulfill the needs of societies in terms of a professional work force. After completing the liberal arts curriculum taught at medieval universities, students could go on to study medicine, law or theology; but these disciplines could take up to a decade of continuous studies. The students that didn’t want to pursue those degrees could find other lucrative careers that society demanded at the time. Universities broadened the fields they taught to fulfill the always-changing needs for new skills in the workplace. The same way, universities throughout time have always restructured their undergraduate curricula according to structural changes in the society such as technology, economics, and international relations. In the past ten years undergraduate universities and colleges in the United States have changed dramatically their curricula to keep up with the changing environment of the ninet ies. Technology has been one of the most important, if not the most important factors for the restructuring of undergraduate education in the United States. According to a report entitled â€Å"Shaping the Future† from the National Science Foundation’s Division of Undergraduate Education, ten years ago there was virtually no Internet, no World Wide Web and computers in classrooms were few and far between. Today, a great portion of the freshmen in college have at least a basic knowledge on how to use a computer and its applications. With the constant release of new software, college students are expected to keep up with latest ones and be able to learn new versions as soon as they come out. But technology is... ...en though research is still a major objective, the need for improvement in the quality of teaching has made undergraduate education move higher in the list of priorities of most universities. Even thought the objective on and undergraduate education is still to increase our sensibility in the arts, create awareness of the diversity of thought in our society and increase our critical thinking abilities, it is also to prepare men and women for professional challenges. Our universities are responsible for creating competitive individuals able to meet job-related expectations and achieve self-actualization. Structural changes in technology, economics, and the globalization of business practices affect many aspects of our lives. It is the dutie of higher learning institutions to keep up with those changes and transmit them to their students so they take advantage.

Discrimination of Girls Essay

Discrimination against female children has been a topic of debate. It has been a subject of concern and sociological significance. This subject raises the cultural aspects about the role of a female child in society, what her human rights are as a human being and a number of sensitive issues.This issue is important because there is nearly universal consensus on the need for gender equality.[1] Gender based discrimination against female children is pervasive across the world. It is seen in all the strata of society and manifests in various forms.[2] As per the literature, female child has been treated inferior to male child and this is deeply engraved in the mind of the female child. Some argue that due to this inferior treatment the females fail to understand their rights. This is more predominant in India as well as other lesser developed countries. Sex selection of the before birth and neglect of the female child after birth, in childhood and, during the [teenage] years has outnumbered males to females in India and also in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and South Korea.[2] There are 1029 women per 1000 men in North America [3] and 1076 women per 100 men in Europe[4] but there are only 927 women per 1000 men in India.[5] These numbers tell us quite a harsh story about neglect and mistreatment of the female child in India. Women have a biological advantage over men for longetivity and survival, however, in spite of this there are more men than women.[1][2][6] The figures above support that gender discrimination of female child is a basic facility area. Though the demographic characteristics do not show much or in some cases , anti-female bias, there is always a woman who receives a small piece of the pie. There are two main inequalities as pointed out by Amartya Sen, the educational inequality and health inequality, these are the indicators of a woman’s status of welfare. In India irrespective of the caste, creed, religion and social status, the overall status of a women is lower than men and therefore a male child is preferred over a female child. A male child is considered a blessing and his birth is celebrated as opposed to a female child where her birth is not celebrated and is considered more of a burden.[1] Therefore, [education] and health care of the female child in India is an important social indicator to measure equality between men and women. According to the 2001 Indian census, overall male-female ratio was 927 females per 1000 males. However, the 2011 Indian census shows that there are 914 females per 1000 males. During the last [decade] the number female children to male children in the youngest age group fell from 945 per 1000 males to 927 per 1000 males.[7] As per the data available there seems to be gender disparity depending on the location, as the Northern states(particularly Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh) seem to be more biased then the Southern states. The sharpest decline for the age group of zero to six years is observed in the Northern States particularly in Punjab (793 per 1000 females) and Haryana (820 per 1000 females).[8] These new figures point out that the use of new technology contributes to the gender composition. Furthermore, the availability of and access to new technologies provides new ways for parent to achieve such goals of sex determination before birth.[2] Due to the widespread use of this technology the Indian Government banned the sex determination before birth.[2] In spite of these bans imposed by the Government, the law is not widely followed. A social development report presented in 2010 to the World Bank and UNDP, found that the time a female child and a male child spends on various activities is similar, with the exception of domestic work and social/resting time; a female child spends nearly three forth of an hour more on domestic work than a male child and therefore lesser hours of social activity/resting then boys.[9] Despite progress in advancing gender equity from a legal standpoint, in practice many women and female children still lack opportunities, and support for the socio-economic advancement.[10][11] Historically, the inclusion of young girls and women in education has helped challenge gender [stereotypes] and discrimination.[12] This suggests that providing space for young girls to develop leadership skills, through education and healthy living is important. This can shape attitudes towards women [capabilities] as leaders and decision makers especially in conventionally male domains and male dominated cultures. Because of the sex preference of male children in India, female children are deemed of resources in the areas of health and education. [edit] Health In Western countries women are born with the advantage not just in [political] and [economic] opportunities but also in their ability to access health care. In the Western nations women typically live about six years longer than men.[7] But this is not true in India. There is plenty of evidence that shows that the girls are been given lesser food and health care than boys, especially in Northern India. Girls are breast fed for shorter periods, given less medical attention, fewer consultations and visit to a doctor, and in case of an emergency and or a major health concern are taken very late or not at all to the hospital.[13] Because of some culturally assigned duties, many girls miss out on the chance to improve their overall health. Miller called this as an extended â€Å"infanticide† where life sustaining inputs like food, nutrition and health care was denied to the female child. Also, female children in general are given lesser food both in quality and quantity and therefo re are [undernourished] compared to male children. This in turn leads to health issues like anemia and intrauterine growth restriction during pregnancy.[1] If in this malnourished state the woman gives birth to a female child then the possibility of the female child having survival issues, and salon nutritional issues becomes higher. The female child’s status is the product of general societal attitude towards women at large in India. Girls in India face higher risks of malnutrition, [disease], [disability] and retardation of growth and development. They have no access to or control over the resources. Their work towards raising a family and in the household chores is undervalued. Some argue that due to the culture that has been in the society for so long that a girl child and her value to the family has been undervalued for long. A popular Telugu saying from Andra Pradesh is, â€Å"Bringing up a daughter is like watering a plant in anothers’ courtyard†. Due to this understanding she is considered as a liability and outside commodity. She is deprived of good food and nutrition. According to a global study conducted by Thomas Reuter, India is the fourth most dangerous country for a girl child in the world.[14] [edit] Education It has often been argued that women’s education is the key to reducing discrimination against daughters. However, female literacy rate has risen from 15% to 54%, even as the [juvenile][sex] ratio has fallen. Furthermore, some studies have shown that educated mothers are far more â€Å"efficient† in discriminating against their daughters than uneducated mothers.[15] Other studies have shown that higher levels of maternal education decreases mortality for both boys and girls, the effect is larger for girls, thus providing evidence that higher levels of maternal education decrease gender differentials in child mortality.[16] On the other hand, there is also evidence that maternal education at the district and [household] levels is weakly associated with increases in female survival.[17] At a macro level, in general high female literacy states—Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa—each with relatively high female education levels have shown less discrimina tion towards girls but in the past 20 years, high female literacy has not stopped Delhi and Tamil Nadu from showing increased discrimination against female child.[18] The female child in India is often deprived from her right of an education. The basic facility of education is deprived to her. Also, even if she is in school, the number of girls dropping out of school far exceeds the boys. Definitely, this is because she is expected to help at home, either in household work like washing, cooking or help in taking care of her younger siblings. Since girls spend more time completing domestic/household chores and this increases the gap between female and male equality in rural parts of India, it perpetuates the myth that education is of no help to the girl and her primary job will be to look after the household work, get married early, have children and then raise them.[2] If this is the job she has to do, then education is of no importance to her and it is not imparted. Also, even with education and financial independence, women might not get the same rights and liberties which a man may have. It is through education in the early days of a child that we can bring about behavior changes and open doors to opportunities that will enhance their confidence, personality and career. Often in these communities, women, in particular, are considered an inferior sex and are raised to accept this belief.[1] Nearly 80% of the girls drop out from standards I to V. Out of the 100 girls that enroll in class 1 only 42 reach class V. Among [Schedule Castes] and [Schedule Tribes], many of those who live below poverty line of the 100 girls only 19 reach class V. Many of these girls work in the unorganized sectors such as the beedi industry .Two characteristics of beedi workers stand out: one, their being largely home based, and the other the predominance of women and girl children. The beedi sector represents the gender division of labor because most of the women along with girls sitting at home do the [beedi] making and boys are not involved in it.[19]

National Historic Preservation Act of 1966

The National Historic Preservation Act is a law that serves to create the â€Å"National Register of Historic Places, the list of â€Å"National Historic Landmarks and the posts of â€Å"State Historic Preservation Officers† of the United States which aims of preserving the entire national and archeological site in the said country (nps.gov, 2007). Enacted in 1966, it has already been to a lot of amendments since then, this law mandates government agencies to determine the effects of various government funded construction projects (fema.gov, 2002). In other words, this act encourages the government agencies to safeguard their preservations programs alongside with the advisory council on Historic preservation. The reason of the existence of this act is due to the fact that year after year, historical sites and other national heritage places has been experiencing degrading concern and of less priority as a government sponsored public works projects. There have been a lot of national heritage sites and historical places that needs major attention, and only the government could help them to be preserved and maintained. Currently, National Historic Preservation Act serves as the basis of most of the government policies concerning on historical preservation in America. With the aid of this act, the role of the Federal preservations was expanded which gives way for the birth of the â€Å"National Antiquities Act† which gives the president the power to restrict the use of any public land owned by the government through executive order. With this, the government authorities would now have the authority and the means of further protecting and preserving the historical site in the United States. Moreover, the federal power could now also be distributed to various states and from the state going to the localities to ensure the effectiveness of the said act. In addition to this, the Historical preservations already widened its coverage by including even the places with no significant historical value. The Effects With the implementation of this act, the definition of a â€Å"Historical value† was broadened. Before the said law was enacted in 1966, only the historical places are being valued by the government or the only one who’s having attention to most of the government officials. But after the birth of the National Historic Preservation Act, it is already being included in the lists of National Register of Historic Places the sites, buildings, objects and all the structures that has of great significance and value to American history, architecture, archeology and culture may it be of a national, state or local significance. In addition to that, the word â€Å"district† is also already being included in the scope of this act. This only means that neighborhoods can already be now included in the preservation program of the government as mandated by law. With the inclusion of the word â€Å"district† in the scope of this law would rationalize any endowment that the secretary of the interior for rehabilitation and exterior restoration in historic districts gives to individuals from various sectors which have identified any neighborhood that is of great importance to them (Murtagh). Moreover, the confusion between the grants for house rehabilitation and the current programs of the secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development can now be clarified. The said law is also the one responsible for making the Department of Interior takes the responsibility of planning and rehabilitating historic districts which was being handled by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. With this, there would be more efficient implementation of the said law since it is not the forte of the Department of Housing and Urban Development the said responsibility. Furthermore, it is through the aid of this law that most of the citizens now understands that there are still other means of ensuring the quality of housing projects in the state and local levels aside from the destruction of urban renewal. Government officials could now get funds for the replacement of the existing housing stock not only from the secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development but also to the secretary of the Department of Interiors. This means that there are already more government agencies that could serve as a source of funds to finance the rehabilitation activities of various agencies and groups. The said act also give way for the establishment of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation made by people from the cabinet of the president and a selected number of private citizens which would serve as the group of people responsible in determining the effects of the federal tax to the cultural properties of the country as well as on the proper treatment of the cultural properties existing in the United States. Case Study Back in the 1990’s, Texans had some hard time in convincing the Texas government to make the Washington-on-the Brazos, the site where the Texas Declaration of Independence had been signed, to be considered as a historical site. What the Texan government tried to consider was the Alamo and San Jacinto battlefield. There were three reasons why the government chose the said two places as a historical site and not the Washington-on-the-Brazos. First was that Washington-on-the-Brazos has little a number of ruined houses that are far from major roads and towns whereas Alamo was situated in downtown San Antonio and San Jacinto battlefield was near from Houston. Secondly, the signing of the declaration of independence was not a concrete physical place or even related not to mention that the document was not in Washington but already placed in the State Archives at Austin. The last but not he least would be that only the local people are the one who is considering the said town site a place valuable of preservation (Trujillo, 2000). This clearly gives us the idea that there is a big discrepancy between what is to be preserved and what is important to the community. Before, as stated above, only those places that are within reach and accessible are only being granted with preservation like Alamo and San Jacinto and not considering those places that has of significant value to the locals as well as the community as a whole. REFERENCES fema.gov. (2002). National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), 1966 As Amended (2000) [Electronic Version], 1. Retrieved 10-06-07 from http://www.fema.gov/plan/ehp/ehplaws/nhpa.shtm. Murtagh, W. Keeping Times nps.gov. (2007). National Historic Preservation Act of 1966-as amended through 1992 [Electronic Version], 65. Retrieved 10-06-07 from http://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/FHPL_HistPrsrvt.pdf. Trujillo, M. à . L. (2000). Lights and Shadows in Texas Preservation: The Case of Washington-on-the-Brazos State National Park [Electronic Version], 20. Retrieved 10-06-07.      

Bacteria Essays - Metabolism, Soil Biology, Photosynthesis

Bacteria Essays - Metabolism, Soil Biology, Photosynthesis Bacteria Bacteria are often maligned as the causes of human and animal disease (like this one, Leptospira, which causes serious disease in livestock). However, certain bacteria, the actinomycetes, produce antibiotics such as streptomycin and nocardicin; others live symbiotically in the guts of animals (including humans) or elsewhere in their bodies, or on the roots of certain plants, converting nitrogen into a usable form. Bacteria put the tang in yogurt and the sour in sourdough bread; bacteria help to break down dead organic matter; bacteria make up the base of the food web in many environments. Bacteria are of such immense importance because of their extreme flexibility, capacity for rapid growth and reproduction, and great age - the oldest fossils known, nearly 3.5 billion years old, are fossils of bacteria-like organisms. Bacteria grow in a wide variety of habitats and conditions. ? When most people think of bacteria, they think of disease-causing organisms, like the Streptococcus bacter ia growing in culture in this picture, which were isolated from a man with strep throat. While pathogenic bacteria are notorious for such diseases as cholera, tuberculosis, and gonorrhea, such disease-causing species are a comparatively tiny fraction of the bacteria as a whole. ? Bacteria are so widespread that it is possible only to make the most general statements about their life history and ecology. They may be found on the tops of mountains, the bottom of the deepest oceans, in the guts of animals, and even in the frozen rocks and ice of Antarctica. One feature that has enabled them to spread so far, and last so long is their ability to go dormant for an extended period. ? ? Bacteria have a wide range of envronmental and nutritive requirements. ? Most bacteria may be placed into one of three groups based on their response to gaseous oxygen. Aerobic bacteria thrive in the presence of oxygen and require it for their continued growth and existence. Other bacteria are anaerobic, an d cannot tolerate gaseous oxygen, such as those bacteria which live in deep underwater sediments, or those which cause bacterial food poisoning. The third group are the facultative anaerobes, which prefer growing in the presence of oxygen, but can continue to grow without it. ? Bacteria may also be classified both by the mode by which they obtain their energy. Classified by the source of their energy, bacteria fall into two categories: heterotrophs and autotrophs. Heterotrophs derive energy from breaking down complex organic compounds that they must take in from the environment this includes saprobic bacteria found in decaying material, as well as those that rely on fermentation or respiration. ? The other group, the autotrophs, fix carbon dioxide to make their own food source; this may be fueled by light energy (photoautotrophic), or by oxidation of nitrogen, sulfur, or other elements (chemoautotrophic). While chemoautotrophs are uncommon, photoautotrophs are common and quite dive rse. They include the cyanobacteria, green sulfur bacteria, purple sulfur bacteria, and purple nonsulfur bacteria. The sulfur bacteria are particularly interesting, since they use hydrogen sulfide as hydrogen donor, instead of water like most other photosynthetic organisms, including cyanobacteria. ? ? Bacteria play important roles in the global ecosystem. ? The ecosystem, both on land and in the water, depends heavily upon the activity of bacteria. The cycling of nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur is completed by their ceaseless labor. ? Organic carbon, in the form of dead and rotting organisms, would quickly deplete the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere if not for the activity of decomposers. This may not sound too bad to you, but realize that without carbon dioxide, there would be no photosynthesis in plants, and no food. When organisms die, the carbon contained in their tissues becomes unavailble for most other living things. Decomposition is the breakdown of these or ganisms, and the release of nutrients back into the environment, and is one of the most important roles of the bacteria. ? The cycling of nitrogen is another important activity of bacteria. Plants rely on nitrogen from the soil for their health and growth, and cannot acquire it from the gaseous nitrogen in the atmosphere. The primary way in which nitrogen becomes available to them is through nitrogen fixation

Analysis of the Migration in UK, France and Germany Research Paper

Analysis of the Migration in UK, France and Germany - Research Paper Example The European Union developed from a series of inter-state relationships that were developed after World War II that were designed to assure that such a war could never occur again within Europe and to provide bonds between countries by providing for the free movement of goods, services and eventually people. The founding members of the European Union, the central fifteen states, have diverse economies and cultures, but they held in common the fact that they were advanced, rich countries with educated populations and high GDPs. The recent admittance of the EU-10 countries on May 1, 2005, has led to a growing concern regarding migration, but this may be seen as merely exasperating trends that were already occurring (Migration, 2005). The fact is that there has been a discrepancy between the avowed aims of the EU: to enable the four freedoms of movement of foods, capital, workers, and services across national borders and the often individual policies of some of the founding, and richer countries. Thus France and Germany have instituted policies, both on a public and private level, that reflect their worry about so-called "wage or social dumping" (Migration, 2005). The perceived "problem" arises from the fact that many German, Dutch, French and British firms have established employee leasing firms in lower-wage members of the EU such as Poland and Portugal. The employees hired by these countries are then often sent to the richer countries where they are paid at rates equivalent to their home countries rather than the ones that they are now working in. Thus there are many Portuguese laborers on English construction sites, and in turn, Ukrainian workers are found on Portuguese construction sites.Changes in employment practices within certain industries have been quite startling because of this movement of workers. Thus leasing firms have replaced about 50% of the c. 60,000 workers in the German slaughterhouse industry with Polish workers. While Germany has no minimum wage laws, it has attempted to regulate this movement through, among other policies trying to extend its mid-1990's law mandating union-agreed wages for all workers in the construct ion industry to other sectors of the economy.These individual country laws are often at odds with the wider push of the EU towards greater freedom. In this case "freedom" is argued to be the need for competition and lowers wages/prices in countries such as France and Germany. But these countries do not want the lower wages and what is perceived as the lower standards of living and quality of life that will occur. In an economic sense, there is a deep suspicion of the new EU countries and pus to tighten national laws, but it is one that will inevitably come up against a shifting balance of power with Europe.

Precis Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Precis - Article Example From the reports, the powerful hurricane caused extensive destruction to communities3. This revealed the inadequacies in federal, state and local preparedness for response to such events. The implication of this surprised many people because of the difficulty that the world’s richest and most powerful nation experienced in effectively managing a disaster that its occurrence had been predicted4. It is also true that predominant international communities were generous and were involved in donations and offers of aid in order to support such devastation. The failure to manage an event predicted accordingly is satire of the US government diplomacy disaster management5. This has generated various forms of conflict worldwide. Therefore the Katrina case study provides an opportunity for examining how disaster –related activities can or cannot yield diplomatic gains6. This induces an international cooperation among countries that have traditionally been